Review by Tina Koyama Mechanical pencils and lead holders are not a large part of my (otherwise vast) stationery stash. I have a few clutches for art materials, and I keep a couple of mechanicals on principle, but I love woodcased pencils so much more for tactical and esthetic reasons that I don’t reach for…
Like all the previous 10th Anniversary posts, these pencils are not in any particular order but when anyone asks what my favorite pencils are, these are what I usually recommend. My pencil tastes lean towards pencils I can both write and draw with. As a lefty, smudging is a big concern for me as well…
Review by Tina Koyama The venerable Carl Angel-5 hand-crank sharpener (also known as a “classroom-friendly” sharpener) is a popular, reliable favorite for many pencil users. With a metal body and “original quality,” it has a classic, sturdy build. I’ve had mine for several years, but sadly, I don’t love it. For one thing, its pencil…
Okay, I talk about Chicago all the time but what you might not know about me is that I went to high school and college in Tennessee. I appreciate my varied upbringing and that I can relate to urban life as well as the smaller, Southern towns. As a result, I’ve always had a soft…
Review by Tina Koyama Usually made of lightweight plastic or aluminum, pencil caps save you from being stabbed by sharp pencil points and keep your bag or pocket from being marked. You’d think that something as simple as a cap would be easy to choose and be happy with. Given all the colored and graphite…
Oh, what a delight it was to find a new book from the inimitable Caroline Weaver of CW Pencil Enterprise fame. After the Pencil Perfect, I couldn’t imagine what other book she might publish but Pencils You Should Know: A History of the Ultimate Writing Utensil in 75 Anecdotes is a perfect follow-up. The book…
Review by Tina Koyama When I started using the Mitsubishi Kohitsu 10B “brush pencil,” I thought I had the softest graphite core I would ever meet. I figured graphite couldn’t go much softer without needing to be mixed with something else like carbon before it loses its stability. But when I saw that the Staedtler…
